[Tango-L] marketing survey

[Michael]

Dear Tangonista:
This is useful information. I remember seeing tango "rules" posted at a milonga. One of them was follow the line of dance. (Lewis and Clark found a path to the Northwest but a lot of people can't find the line of dance.) Perhaps some of the observations could be printed in local tango magazines or posted at milonga and practica entrances. Milonga or practica promoters could read them or announce they should be read. 

Michael
I danced Argentine Tango --with the Argentines

From: meaning of life 

in an effort to build our tango community, we did a small, informal, and unscientific marketing survey. the sample consisted of young (plus or minus a bit 17-21), likely dancers (already dancing something for the most part), male and female. our hope was to figure out why there was a problem "attracting" the younger dancers. 
 
here were the responses: 
 
1) icky music 2) boring 3) don't like to dance with people i don't know or don't like 4) stinky old men
5) too many rules 6) not fun 7) can't just do it (remember, these are people who already can dance, just not tango) 8) boring practice 9) too slow 10) not "cardio" enough 11) creepy 12) need special shoes
 
we also attempted to contact people who had "dissapeared" after one or a few lessons. The majority reflected the above answers, but also commented on feeling "berated" by people trying to "teach them" during a practica environment. there were alot of negative comments related to well meaning but less then competent people (my words) "teaching" during practicas, and either 1) making it no fun 2) making it confusing 3) teaching things that were kinisthetically incorrect (this was from real dancers, with good credentials, but not in tango). and finally, "the people that i saw dancing were not doing a dance that i want to do", this was a comment on style, not tango.